MAY 28: The Braves have placed Ozuna on the IL. Utilityman Johan Camargo is up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his place on the active roster.
MAY 26: Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna revealed in his Instagram story today that he’ll likely be sidelined for at least six weeks after dislocating two fingers on his left hand during yesterday’s win over the Red Sox (hat tip: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, on Twitter). The Braves have yet to formally provide their own timeline, though manager Brian Snitker will surely have more details when he meets with the media today.
It’s an unwelcome development for a Braves club that has lost several key players to injury in the season’s first two months. Mike Soroka required exploratory surgery after experiencing a setback in his recovery from last year’s Achilles tear, while Travis d’Arnaud underwent surgery to repair a thumb ligament and breakout righty Huascar Ynoa is sidelined with a broken pitching hand.
The 30-year-old Ozuna was one of baseball’s best hitters in the shortened 2020 season, pacing the NL in home runs, RBIs, total bases and plate appearances while hitting .338/.431/.636. His decision to sign with Atlanta on a one-year, $18MM deal rather than take a lesser multi-year offer elsewhere last winter paid off, as the “Big Bear” wound up securing a four-year, $65MM deal to return to the Braves this past winter.
Unfortunately, the first year of that season couldn’t have gotten out to a much worse start. Ozuna was hitting just .213/.288/.356 through 208 plate appearances. He’s still connected on seven homers and six doubles, but Ozuna’s .144 isolated power (slugging percentage minus batting average) is less than half last season’s career-high .298. His walk rate, exit velocity and hard-hit rate have all tumbled thus far in 2021 as well.
With Ozuna now sidelined, the Braves can lean on a combination of Ronald Acuna Jr., Cristian Pache, Ender Inciarte, Guillermo Heredia and Ehire Adrianza in the outfield, though the Braves also have toop outfield prospect Drew Waters looming in the upper minors. The 22-year-old Wates is out to a .250/.342/.453 start through 73 plate appearances in Gwinnett.
He will be missed, but not defensively. Some iteration of Acuna, Adrianza, Inciarte and Heredia will have to suffice.
Apparently it never ends with these injuries in Atlanta. Waters should at least get a shot now. Whether or not he stays on the roster is up to him…but there’s no reason to not give him a chance at this point.
No way he comes up and burns service time. If anything it’d be Pache but I do t even think that is ideal. Might be a Travis demirrite or camargo since they seem to be hitting well.
Pache isn’t even active for Gwinnett. Will have to further check his status and location.
There is a team in your division that has had it worse. So
The smallest violin in the world is playing for you.
he wasn’t bemoaning anything, he cant make a statement about his favorite team on a baseball discussion thread? why do you insist on being an a-hole to everybody?
I’m not sure if you have noticed but MetsFan22 has been a bit irritating, regularly bemoaning the Mets injuries and declaring them the best team to ever exist on every article, although this time it was relevant and rather on target. But Tut’s response was not even overly harsh, in fact, I found it playfully comical.
1b 2b 3b all 3 of 3 of 5 SP
not to mention 7 backups 9m offense also out…most till early July
All teams in the division have had injuries, not only the Mutz.
Fans of the good teams (Dodgers, Padres, Braves) don’t cry about injuries.
If you guys lost your whole team like us I don’t even know if you guys are 500!
They isn’t have injures like the Mets do.
The Dodgers have been without Bellinger (for all but four games), Seager, Pollock, McKinstry, Gonsolin, Price, Graterol, Knebel, Kelly, Nelson, and Alexander. They also lost Betts for a week and Lux for 10 days, and are without May, Rios, Ferguson, and Kahnle for the season. That is a significantly better group of players than the Mets have lost. Yet the Dodgers have won eight in a row, 12 of 13, and are within a half-game of having the best record in the league. Stop whining about injuries. If a team doesn’t have the depth to cover for them, then they aren’t a true contender in the first place.
You’re lying to yourself if you think the dodgers have lost as much as the Mets! Good laugh!
The Dodgers’ injured players are easily better than the Mets’ guys. Do you pay attention? Bellinger is a recent MVP, Seager a WS and NLCS MVP. They are both better than any position player on the Mets roster, as, of course, is Betts. Over the past four years, the Dodgers have averaged 102-60 per 162 games to the Mets’ 77-85. Guys like Conforto, Nimmo, McNeil, and Alonso have contributed to that terrible run. Four bad defenders. Is there a more overrated hitter in the game than Conforto? When both teams are healthy, you understand that the Dodgers are 25 games better than the Mets, right? And you see where the Dodgers are still winning despite being without an assortment of MVPs, all-stars, and prime pitching talent. Btw, you overrate the Mets pitching. After deGrom, the rotation pales in comparison to the Dodgers and Padres.
The dodgers roster is not 25 games better than the Mets roster if both teams are 100% . I’d Mets win 102 and you guys 97. Dodgers are one of the Most overrated teams in the decade. They have 0 real championships.
@MetsFan22 The Mets are 4-11 against teams with a winning record. They played these teams before the big injuries. The Mets are not the Dodgers or anywhere close to them even when healthy.
Waa,waa,waa the Mets lead the league in injuries waa,waa,waa. In last year’s shortened season no team had more adversity than the Marlins. Even before they had their team decimated by Covid they were expected to be dead in the water. Yet they made the playoffs. What few fans we heard from weren’t crying as much as MetsFan22.
You say a team that has won a World Series, has gone to three World Series in four years, and has eight straight division titles is overrated. You then tout the 77-wins-per-season Mets as being better. Do you know what overrated means? There is no position on the field where the Mets would be given a meaningful edge.
1b 2b 3b all 3 of 3 of 5 SP
not to mention 7 backups 9m offense also out…most till early July
As a Giants fan, I dislike the Dodgers very much. However, the Dodgers at full strength are night and day more talented than the Mets.
@Metsfan22 you’re consistently the worst, most delusional person to comment on these message boards. I award you zero points and may god have mercy on your soul.
As much fun as it is to make fun of the Marlins for having 5 fans, they’re an interesting young team.
Lol the Mets have only one winning record since 2016 (2019) and they were fortunate to do so since they lost 50 out of their first 90 games that season lmao
Yup.
A few actually, @metsfan22: the Marlins, Phillies, & Nationals have all been hit pretty hard. As has the entire league.
Maybe that team should factor player durability into how they construct their team…
I agree 48. Why not? This is the Braves window right now. I don’t think Waters can do any worse than Pache with the bat. I am sure to get some feedback on this and I admit it’s probably early…. Please anyone but no hit Camargo.
The Braves have considerably more than a one-year window. Excellent organization.
I guess I should’ve been more specific on the window. I’d say at least 5-6 years. They definitely need to sign Freddie Freeman to a 2-3 extension though.
What if Freeman wants six-plus years at $30M annually?
@cey hey. I’m not sure that would be wise but 3 years at 30 million a year probably would work out. Not sure if Liberty Media would cough up that kind of cash though. Without Freddie this isn’t the same caliber team. They were wise to keep him during the rebuild and not trade him.
Waters is like 1-18 right now, .736 OPS and a mess of strikeouts. Ender can do that and he plays better D. If anything throw Riley out in left and bring up the Arcia dude they got from MIL. He’s on fire right now.
League average OPS is at .708 as of right now.
This is the highest I’ve seen it this year (was below .700 for a couple days).
.736 certainly isn’t bad in 2021.
That’s aaa stats. He would be massively overmatched most Likely
Noted, @ McCourt.
Smacky – is your Id a get fuzzy reference? Just curious lol
Just tape them up and suck it up, man!!
JK
Get Winker or Castellanos
Too early for big trades. No one gives up in May.
Talk about buying high on Winker. That would be a massive package
Damn. I hate these freak accidents on the live play. Felt like Oxuna’s hitting up. Bad break, really bad. Hopefully we survive this huddle like overcoming awful starting pitching injuries last year.
Oh ffs, learn how to slide in the next 6 weeks.
And I do miss Charlie Culberson.
The aggressive approach would be to call up Waters and see if he’s MLB ready, but they may be a little gun shy to rush prospects after Pache flopped at the plate.
I’m guessing they’ll go conservative, call up Camargo and go with a rotation of Adrianza, Ender, Camargo and maybe some Panda (at 3B with Riley playing LF) until one of them earns the full time job or they eventually decide to bring up Waters.
They have Demeritte and Almonte in AAA sitting on 1.000+ OPS’s, but they’d need to be added to the 40 man roster and they only have 47 AB’s each.
Arcia is on the 40 man but he doesn’t play OF so he would be replacing Adrianza’s bench role if they call him up.
They aren’t moving Riley while he is clicking so well. Otherwise I tend to agree with you. I don’t think waters will get the call this screams Travis d or camargo.
The NL East bloodbath continues.
At one point today, 9 of the 10 first articles were of the IL variety, @Hayes.
It’s every division.
It also completely sucks.
@Ducky definitely a problem throughout the entire league.
Braves should be able to trade Langeliers and Shewmake for Refsnyder.
They should be able to trade Jacob Webb for Refsnyder.
They should be able to get a whole lot better than Refsnyder.
Theres some sort of fascination with Refsnyder and some of the users on this forum not unlike the Cole Hamels stuff from months ago
I also recall Peter O’Brien getting rave reviews at some point.
And of course so did Blake Swihart and Jesus Montero and we all know how that worked out.
Wonder if Avi Garcia would be a fit
@Milwaukee
Kind of surprised the Mets haven’t gotten Garcia. Maybe the Brewers are upping their ante?
Brutal. Kinda rooting for Waters to get called up. But it will be interesting to see how the Braves address this void
Go get Adolis Garcia .. Rangers have no use for him in a rebuild .. he’s already 28yrs old
Age 28 is not old. The older I get, the younger it is. But seriously, it’s more likely the Rangers trade Gallo during their rebuild as he would bring back more in a trade. Another option is Mitch Haniger, though the Mariners might not want to trade him just yet. There’s also the Dbacks’ David Peralta, who is having a really good year. Or maybe they can knock the Royals’ socks off with an offer for Whit Merrifield. Haniger (30), Merrifield (31), and Peralta (34 in August) are all at an age where it would make sense for a rebuilding team to trade them.
I’m all in for Haniger — ATL would love him and I’m sure Jerry would love some of the pitching return. I doubt they would demand Waters back (with their slew of OF options — Trammell, Rodriguez, etc.), but I’d imagine Shea Langeliers and premium pitching.
I’d give up contraeras over langeliers any day of the week.
What about Peralta? Quality lefty bat who is still good defensively. A reliable guy to have on a team who, like everyone these days, just needs to stay healthy. Signed through 2022 at $7.5 million. Braves could use a lefty bat. Maybe expand the deal to get a pitcher like Caleb Smith, a lefty who can start or relieve. Season numbers not outstanding but I would trust him to be an asset the rest of the way.
M’s would probably prefer Langeliers. Gotta give to get. They will get good offers for Haniger.
The Braves will be fine. Marcell has overall been terrible. Yes, it doesn’t help that he got hurt, but for the time being, someone else can bring his -0.2 WAR production.
Sorry to say it Braves fans, but that contract was ill-fated from the day it was signed. Not so much because of injury concerns, but for performance concerns. Ozuna parlayed a career year into a huge long term overpay. He is not the 1.000+ OPS hitter he was in 2020; he isn’t even a .900 OPS hitter. He’s is a sub-.800 OPS, league average hitter and not worth $65M.
It’s 65m over 4, which is far from an overpay. You’re making it sounds as if they gave him 300m over 10yrs. If he posts 1 or 2 WAR a year, he earns it. When did some fans become so cheap with other people’s money? Lol
You don’t believe 60 games in 2020, but you will believe the first 45 games in mostly cold weather in 2021 to already draw conclusions on the contract — you sound like a Mets fan regarding Lindor, but about a contract that’s about a sixth of the price.
Ozuna’s has been hitting the ball just as hard as 2020 (similar exit velos/barrel rates) without the same success, amounting to some of the lowest BABIP of his career. That’s bound to change with more game play. But you’re also forgetting that that contract’s value is really in him as a DH going forward, which is where he really did damage in 2020, fwiw. While .800 OPS isn’t terrible for the money, if he continues to hit the ball as hard and frequently as he has been, he’ll have a .900 OPS.
RunDMC, I agree. The best part of Ozuna’s season is still to come. He has a better track record than a guy like Michael Conforto, a career .252 hitter outside of 2020’s 60-game run. Conforto is also pretty ordinary as a defender, yet this is a guy who will be looking for much more money than Ozuna next winter. Ozuna was a smart signing who will give the Braves sufficient bang for the buck.
It’s not just 2021, it’s most of his career minus 2020, where he’s been roughly 10% above average with the bat. Where are you getting that his statcast data is similar? Fangraphs doesn’t show that
2020 v. 2021
EV: 93 v 89.7
Barrel %: 15.4 v 9.9
Hard Hit%: 53.8 v 40.1
xSLG: .635 v .471
Interestingly, he shares the same EV this season as Lindor. The difference in EV may not appear huge at first glance, but for 2021, 93 would put him in a tie for 6th highest, where as 89.7 puts him in a tie for 67th.
The two players who win MVP this year are simply going to be the only two players who didn’t get placed on the IL throughout the year.
I didn’t see the play yet, was it a head first slide? If it was, I assume he wasn’t wearing the oven mitt?
It wasn’t long ago that players were coached away from head first slides for three reasons:
1. No infielder routinely drops a leg down to block spikes.
2. Spikes first saves your hands and wrists.
3. Pop up slides are faster to get up and go.
Anywho, at least it was a baseball I jury and not a muscle injury. No solace for Braves’ fans, though.
Last one standing makes the post season in the IL East. One thing for sure, EVERY game counts in this division. There’s no automatic resting of regulars on Sundays and May games matter as much as September.
It’s baseball it happens. No one is going to feel sorry for you. This is the time with Ozuna down for ALL the regulars to step they’re game up. Every team in the NL East has injuries affecting them. No crying no excuses just play Braves baseball. Good defense, get quality out of the starters, bullpen DONT implode. Swanson needs to keep hitting, Ozzie needs to have quality at bats, Freddie needs to be Freddie MVFree which he is capable of. Acuna needs to be Acuna. Riley keep doing what your doing. If that happens they will be fine.
Will Ozuna’s subpar year+subsequent concern his contract is an albatross be enough for AA to not re-sign Freeman?
Normally I’d say no way. But with how tight the Braves finances seem to be+ the lack of traction on any extension.. I sorta wonder if AA is looking for a reason to be able to walk away from Freddie
I don’t believe there is anything wrong with the Ozuna contract.
Hypothetically, if there were, I’d hope AA wouldn’t fall into that line of thinking. A scared GM is a useless GM.
In no way do I think Ozuna will be THIS bad for the whole 4 years. But I never bought into his 2020 as being sustainable either.
He only needs to produce about 6 wins over the 4 years to cover the cost. But A 110 OPS+ dh isn’t producing 6 wins
Do I think it should stop ATL from keeping Freeman? I do not. BUT a cheap FO, who doesn’t do many long term big money deals getting snake-bit the year before a likely team record 100m+ deal needs to be signed… it would not shock me if ATL acts differently than I would
Considering the bargain deals for Acuna and Albies, the Ozuna contract is less of an albatross than it might have been. And Riley has yet to hit arbitration. Those are three darn-good players on affordable deals. Riley is looking like a different player like he actually has a plan at the plate. It will be interesting to see if that holds. I would guess that it will.
That comment about Ozuna not being a good hitter is false. Ozuna had a career year in the shortened season and that production should not be expected. But the dude when on the field had hit and hit better than league average. Even this year his hard hit rate and average exit velo are still there. He hasn’t had any breaks and balls weren’t falling in. Freddie Freeman had been in the same boat. He isn’t a 220 hitter. Check the back of baseball cards or baseball reference the stats are there yes, however you have to watch the baseball game to see what is actually happening. Box scores and analytic blah, blah doesn’t tell the whole story!
I will say this, Freddie Freeman is the Face of the Franchise. Not Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albee’s, Dansby Swanson or any other Brave. AA should have addressed his contract period! Will it get done? IT BETTER. Because that dude is what you want and need to represent your club. Freddie is the Glue not the young kids or Free Agent pick ups. From Cobb to Fulton to Gwinnett will be in a uproar if Freeman isn’t a Brave in 22 and beyond
Or what? Seriously man, eat a marshmallow slowly. No face is above the franchise. If they can’t agree to terms then you’ll learn very quickly who Bryce Ball is and most likely have his bobblehead staring at you the next year when you’re sending your next veiled threat.
Moving forward, Acuna and Albies are more important to the Braves. Two of the most talented players in the game. Freeman turns 32 in September. Excellent career but how high do you want to go for a player exiting his prime? The “sign Freddie” people will be the same people killing AA for giving too much to an aging player when FF starts to slide.
Albies talented, what a laugh!
2 4-WAR seasons (@ 21 & 22 y/o) already, which Whit Merrifield hasn’t even done yet in a couple more seasons. He’s making $3M in 2021, and if he has a 4-WAR season again ATL is paying $750k per WAR (not the market of $7M/WAR), so yeah, he’s pretty talented and affordable.
For Clarity, I personally wasn’t making any threats this is baseball not actual life and I don’t have any shares in the Atlanta Braves Baseball Club. I was simply stating remarks I’ve seen on blogs and heard on talk radio. Players come and go, I get it, Andruw Jones left, Tom Glavine left, Brian McCann left guess who didn’t leave and was is in a similar position, Chipper Jones. This isn’t the Dodgers were you plug and play. Even Chipper Jones said himself that Freddie was the heir apparent. No player is above the name on the front of the jersey but the Braves have done it differently for that “One” guy.
@bravesnation, I agree with you Freddie is the Face of the Braves, just like Chipper was before that, and Dale Murphy before him. I just hope the Braves keep Freddie like they did Chipper. But, I will say this, something is wrong with Freddie. He doesn’t seem his usual happy self. It could be anything, personal or business, but I hope it isn’t because of his contract situation. But, what ever it is, I wish him the best.
Dear god, let’s hope they aren’t his selfie-fingers
SaltLake, I appreciate it. I’m just simply saying the whole “pass the torch” thing that has gone on with the Braves for all these years is what it’s all about. Only a select few spend their careers with one club. It mattered to Chipper. Heck it mattered to Derek Jeter. Things are done differently in ATL and I’ve always appreciated and respected that even as a kid learning the game watching this team on the Superstation.
So Snitker brings in his bullpen ace Luke Jackson again in a close game. And once again he gives up another pitchers runs so his ERA will remain 1.5 and people will continue to think he is good. Dude is absolute TRASH and Snitker is blind not to see it. How many times has this happened already this season?
100% AGREE as soon as I heard he was coming in I said we just lost the game
And let me just add that the entire bullpen was fresh and available. Snitker just honestly believes Luke Jackson is a good pitcher. Must be his career 4.66 ERA. Why not just make him the closer again. Such BS
@blauser. Luke does seem great at letting inherited base runners score. I’d rather see the new guy Flaa get a shot in that situation. Why not?
I wonder if there is a statistic for inherited runs allowed. Jackson has to be the worst pitcher with a great ERA. I’d almost rather see Mike Tomlin come in and throw BP meatballs at 86mph. But seriously…Santana, Chris Martin, or giving Flaa a shot all would have been better RHP options.
@jeffblauser —
halosheaven.com/2016/6/9/11894422/what-if-relief-p…
great article. Cheers man
Snitker still manages like he’s in AAA.
Camargo? Waste of a roster spot.
Camargo? You gotta be F—ing kidding!?!
I agree. Camargo hasn’t done anything this year and has been steadily in decline the last several years. Almonte or Arcia had earned this call up. Are we trying to lose?
I’m not a conspiratorial type, but with the moves being made and Snitker’s in game management…………
I think he went with Camargo because he is a switch hitter and plays multiple (not great) positions. Man do I miss Adam Duvall.
The Duvall who’s hitting .213 with 52Ks? You also wouldn’t have Heredia and probably Sandoval since Duvall would be the primary PH.
Yeah no thanks on Duvall.
I said Duval for the Power presence in the order. If they go with the DH next year I’d take him.
Ozuna btw has about the same stats at this point of the season as Duval does. Just Sayin.
In light of todays events the Braves can probably say goodbye to Ozuna for the rest of the season
At minimum the rest of the season.
High demand for OFs now.
Delino DeShields becomes a free agent on Tuesday when he will inevitably exercise his opt-out (unless Texas puts him on the ML roster which seems unlikely). Let the bidding war commence!!
Maybe this will teach AA and the FO that if you try to play it cheap in the off-season hoping that everything goes perfect all season it only takes 1 or 2 things not going according to plan for it to really cause some chaos. Assuming everything did go perfect than he may have gotten away with being cheap. In pro sports FO’s have to have back up plans for their back up plans. Hopefully AA will learn his lesson cuz nothing has gone according to plan and I’m afraid Freddie is looking at all of this as a sign not to return to Atlanta